05/21/2012

Cowboys CB Mike Jenkins wants to be traded, huh? Tough

Who cares? Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said Jenkins is important to the team's plans for 2012 season, and he actually may be telling the truth.

A former first round pick out of South Florida, Jenkins has seen the writing on the wall that he is a backup. The team acquired Brandon Carr in free agency, and moved up to select LSU's Morris Claiborne in the first round of the draft.

This makes Jenkins a very expensive nickel, assuming those two guys beat him out. But Jenkins, when healthy, can play. If the Cowboys can afford him, might as well keep him. The way players get hurt these days, Jenkins could be a starter for more than half of the regular season.

Jenkins has had an uneven career with the Cowboys since he broke in in 2008. He's had some tackling issues (see his rookie ooohhhhh-laaaay against the Giants in the Meadowlands). In 2009, he was a serious playmaker with five picks. Last season, injuries limited him to 12 games.

Jenkins has been a decent pro, just not great, and likely not a first round pick. Then there are injury issues.

If Carr and Claiborne are upgrades, Jenkins will be a very expensive luxury to have. Good, or even decent, corners are hard to find. Keep them when you have them.

Comments

Seems like there are two kinds of cornerbacks - those that play the ball, and those that read the receiver's eyes. The guys that play the ball get picks and defensed passes. The guys that read the receiver make tackles after the catch. Seems like we saw Jenkins with his back to the ball a lot last year. Your thoughts?